The following is a legislative update from State Senator Amanda Ragan, representing portions of Franklin, Butler and Cerro Gordo counties:
My goal for the 2021 session is to focus on helping Iowans recover from the wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far, I’ve been surprised and dismayed by how little time the Legislature is devoting to these concerns. The Legislature needs to focus more on the economic, health and community needs Iowans are facing.
While record numbers of Iowans struggle with hunger, legislative leaders are making it harder to get food assistance and other resources to make ends meet.
While out-of-work Iowans wait for unemployment benefits, some legislators are pushing proposals to make the situation worse.
While county health departments and other local government agencies struggle to meet community needs, the Governor and many legislators are chipping away at their authority, rather than providing them adequate resources to do their jobs.
There’s still time to do better. We can implement a COVID Recovery Plan<http://www.senate.iowa.go
1. Defeats the virus by rolling out vaccines to all Iowans as efficiently as possible.
2. Helps hurting Iowans, including struggling small businesses, food banks and workers.
3. Builds back better by focusing on critical needs, including an Essential Workers Bill of Rights.
4. Ensures accountability for how the crisis is managed.
GOP legislation cuts unemployment
The number of unemployed Iowans as a result of the pandemic remains high. Today, fewer Iowans are working than 10 years ago.
To help, Senate and House Democrats have proposed tax relief for Iowans receiving unemployment payments. But legislative Republicans want to cut jobless benefits to Iowans who are out of work through no fault of their own.
I have heard from many constituents who are waiting weeks—even months—to receive their unemployment benefits. Instead of solving the problem, legislative Republicans want to cut unemployment benefits for Iowans with families, as well as the number of weeks benefits may be collected when an employer closes its doors for good (SSB 1172<https://www.legis.iowa.go
Under this legislation, laid-off Iowans must wait a week before receiving the unemployment benefits they’re due. For jobless Iowans, no week is more important than the first week they’re out of work because they often haven’t had time to make financial adjustments or find another job.
After a brutal year for thousands of families, we should focus on good policies that lift up Iowans, enhance local communities and re-charge our economy—not mean-spirited legislation that kicks Iowans when they’re down.
This is why Amanda and Sharon are clueless. She talks about unemployment and almost every company is looking for workers to fill positions. The people that are no working is because they choose not to work. You and Sharon should be doing more to help clean and restore our drinking water and environment but all you care about is getting your union money so Sharon can go out to Tappas and tell everyone how great she is and neither of you have done anything to help Mason city or north Iowa.
Don’t allow Democrats anywhere near foreign policy,
American “tradition” is long gone! America is no longer a Republic, (for now) and, what you call the Democrats/Never Trumpers/neo-cons, and Hollywood is really all part of a cabal that has been around since the 70’s that I know of. This Cabal has now total control of the Democratic Party and a portion of the Republican Party. They are tied into the New World Order movement and also use Agenda 21 as a platform to push their agenda among other hidden groups!
Do you use Reynolds wrap or the store brand when making your hat? Asking for a friend.
End of America is near. Just as Rome fell so will America. Evil people have to be put in the right people before the nation can be destroyed. Well we have lying corrupt hiding scumbag Biden and evil hideous hypocrite woman the laughing Hyena Kamala along with their liberal Democratic party in power.
HMMMMMMM
U.S. COVID-19 cases have plunged more than 70% over the past two months from an average of nearly 250,000 new infections a day, while average deaths per day have plummeted about 40% since mid-January.
Yep, finally getting back to where we were last summer.
Fun fact, Amanda Reagan is the daughter of former President Ronald Reagan and is my half step sister. You could say that she is a sister from another Mr.
you have my sympathy